Whispering Lies
by CrypticMoonFang
Summary: All that remained of Mabel was one parting note saying she left Gravity Falls for "various reasons". When many years pass and a pair of lost twins come across the shack, there may just be more to Mabel's "various reasons" than anyone could've imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**Mabel's POV**

I sat in the recliner and watched Dipper pace around the living room. He kept mumbling things about the journal's mysteries, the author of that journal, and if the blank pages could possibly stand for something. Maybe the author disappeared, maybe he didn't. Maybe this, maybe that. I wasn't really listening to any of what he was telling me—it sounded more like he was talking to himself anyway.

I placed one hand over my stomach and sighed. Nobody seemed to have noticed the bump yet. Could be the sweaters. They were kind of loose, not very tight at all...Yeah. I could keep wearing them for a little while longer but...what would happen in about another month? I couldn't go back home like this. What would my parents think? And Dipper, what would he think? What about Grunkle Stan? Wendy? Soos? Candy? Grenda? And Pacifica would have just one more reason to rag on me. Everyone would judge me, no matter where I went or who it was.

And Gideon was a huge worry for me. He finally got out of jail and was just... He'd tried to kill my brother before.

Who's to say he wouldn't come after my baby?

Yeah, that's right. I made a stupid mistake and in several months, would have a child. Nobody—not even the father—knew about this. I never planned to tell anyone but I might have to. I didn't know what to do with this baby. I certainly didn't know how to take care of one. I'd babysat before but that was a _lot_ different.

And another concern was that the summer was drawing to an end. I couldn't do this to my family. If I went home everyone would have the assumption that my parents raised me wrong or were just bad parents overall. Dipper would be so disappointed in me, probably as disappointed as the rest of our family would be.

At the same time I couldn't bring myself to have an abortion. A life was a life no matter how big or small. And by now I was sure it already had a heartbeat.

Plus, to keep myself occupied, I'd made a mental list of names, most of which I couldn't even remember. Once you name something, you get attached to it. Well...I was about to name something really big. I kind of already had a little attachment to it.

So far I was thinking Jessica for a girl. There were other names too, though, that I loved just as much. Like Tabitha? It was unique, that was for sure. I liked unique. But Jessica and Tabitha just didn't seem right... For a boy, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of Oliver or Elijah. Oliver might be okay. I don't know, neither of those sounded right either... I had almost six months to figure it out so I wasn't that worried, especially since I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl yet, but it was fun to think of names.

"Mabel, you okay?" my brother asked.

I nodded and took my hand off my stomach, resting it on the arm of the chair.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What are you thinking about?"

Oh...a lot of things really. None of them were directly related to him though. And I didn't want him to find out I was pregnant. I couldn't let him down like that, not my brother. Nor could I let the rest of my family find out, or my friends—they could tell my family. I didn't want to be judged and I certainly didn't want my child to be judged.

...The only one who wouldn't judge it was the father but I couldn't force a kid on him. We were both far too young to be raising children. I was pretty sure neither of us was ready for it—not at seventeen.

And the age would only cause scorn on me among my mom's side of the family. Aside from Grunkle Stan, my dad's side of the family wasn't very inviting as it was. They may well shun me _and_ my child despite being related by_ blood_. It was shameful, really, but in a way, I felt like I deserved whatever I had coming. I was the one who made that mistake; I was the one who would pay the price for it.

And there was always Gideon—_always_ Gideon—to think about. Not just Gideon either. Who knew what other threats—human or inhuman—lay within this very town? It was decided in that moment. Gravity Falls was no place to raise a child.

The only place left to go was back to Piedmont. What good would that do me? It would tear me up to suffer that kind of wrath from everyone. And Dipper, the one who had always had my back? He wouldn't have it this time. What if he was so upset with me that he chose to shun me as well?

The summer was almost at its end and we were due to go back home in just a few days. Most of our things were already packed. Aside from toiletries we were pretty much all set to go.

Back home both and I my child would suffer. Here both I and my child would suffer. I didn't have anywhere else to go though. A decent place to raise a child without all the judgment and ugly looks being shot at us... Did it even exist?

I'd heard of kids committing suicide because of bullying from their peers. It gave me yet another reason to turn my back to Piedmont and Gravity Falls. Gravity Falls was a bad idea, Piedmont was a bad idea, so what else was there? I couldn't go back to the father. It was best if he never knew. If he knew and rejected me, I would...I...I didn't even know what I would do, but I was already hormonal and anything he said would be taken to heart even if he wasn't talking about me or the baby. He cracked one joke and boom, that was it. I'd be sent home bawling.

I thought of the money I had saved up over the time I'd worked in the Mystery Shack. Maybe it was a stupid idea but I had to do something. I didn't want to risk my baby eventually killing itself because of the scorn of my family and I couldn't stay here in Gravity Falls because of all the strange happenings. Looking much closer, both were dangerous. I couldn't go back to either.

So I worked the rest of the day as normal, pretending to feel completely energetic and lively. It was easy to pull off and today was especially busy. Unlike Wendy and Soos, Dipper and I were paid by the end of each day depending on how much work we did.

I did as much as I could possibly do, which probably didn't go unnoticed, and was paid double at the end of the day. I either worked harder than I thought or Grunkle Stan knew something was up.

Impossible. I hadn't told anyone.

I chose to go to bed early, sneaking toiletries into my bags as I went along. My plan? Wake up early tomorrow—so early that it was still dark out—and leave.

Naturally I wouldn't leave without a note to say goodbye. If I said my goodbyes in person someone was bound to stop me and keep a close eye on me for the rest of my stay. My parents would be notified of this and, unfortunately, discover my dirty little secret. Maybe I was just thinking like a mother but no, I wouldn't have that for my child.

So I did just what I'd planned. All the hard work I'd done paid off in both money and an excuse to be "tired" so I could go to bed early. In reality I was too nervous to be that tired and did in fact only sleep when Dipper hit the hay.

And that nervousness actually came in very handy the next day. Although I was tired from waking up so early, I hardly noticed it.

I changed into some clothes and brushed my hair but skipped brushing my teeth for two reasons: I didn't want to make noise with the running water and it was easier to simply leave the toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag.

My goodbye note was written out to Dipper, telling him that I chose to leave on my own for various reasons—which were not listed—and that although the journal said to trust no one, he could trust me when I said I was safely away. I left it on the nightstand between our beds, right under the lamp so he would see it first thing when he woke up.

It pained me horribly to leave him like this, but it was for the best. I had someone else I had to think about now and as sad as it was, Dipper couldn't be part of the picture. I had to put my baby first now. It would stay that way for as long as I lived, and nothing would ever change my mind. So I left Gravity Falls behind. I left my brother, my great uncle, Candy, Grenda, Wendy, and Soos behind. And I left my mother behind. I left my father behind...

All to begin my new life.

**A/N**

**Tell me your thoughts! :) Do you like where this is going so far? Like the idea? Anyone who can come up with a better summary, please oh PLEASE do help me. :( I'd be glad to hear anything out!  
><strong>

**A heads-up for the next chapter: HUGE time skip is coming (although you've probably already guessed that).**

**Nobody ask who the father is! AND NO IT IS NOT DIPPER! There will be no Pinecest in this story.**

**And a last thing; this story WILL switch POVs, but the prologue is in Mabel's POV because I wanted to show you her thoughts while she's into her early pregnancy. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Mabel's POV**

"Tyrone!" I shouted. "You're not going anywhere until you eat your food!"

My son sighed heavily and _audibly_ as he slumped back down in the chair.

As it turned out...I had a son.

And a daughter.

I was one stressed out mother of twins. I really should've seen this coming. After all, twins ran in the family.

"Come on, Mom, you grew up with a brother..." he muttered. "Why can't we just get some pizza?"

"Because I'm the mom, _that's_ why."

It was hard to believe he had just brought up Dipper. My brother was rarely mentioned. As far as the twins knew, they did have an uncle, but he'd died before they were born and they had no living relatives aside from me. They didn't even know their uncle's name. I never wanted to forget Dipper and still missed him dearly, so almost as a tribute to him, I named my son after him—giving Tyrone the name Dipper had always wanted. I wasn't personally fond of the name but it reminded me so much of Dipper...

And Tyrone was like his uncle in every way possible. He had a serious nature to him but could be very boyish at times. He loved to read and learn. He even looked like Dipper—brown hair, green eyes, and if he had a Gravity Falls souvenir cap, he would be Dipper's younger double.

Likewise, my daughter Tammie was just like me before I had kids. She was lively, energetic, adored sparkly things, and just loved life. Just as Tyrone looked like Dipper, Tammie looked like me.

But every day it killed me to know that I had raised them on lies. I didn't know exactly what became of my brother being as I'd never gone back to visit—too busy rearing children and struggling to pay the bills—but to my knowledge, he was still alive. Everyone probably was. I hoped they were... I wished I could go back but Tammie and Tyrone needed to be by me. Unlike my parents, I didn't have anyone to look after them.

Plus...everyone would wonder why I was gone. They would also wonder why I had come back. If I were to go back I would have to bring the kids with me. Needless to say, I just couldn't do that. I couldn't face my family after all these years. I honestly didn't know why I kept thinking about them. My priorities were my children—they came before everyone else.

And I must say that they were the best things that ever happened to me. That mistake I made so many years ago had turned into two beautiful children who I loved more than anything else in the world.

I just... Part of me wished everyone else could see them too. They probably wouldn't think of them the way I did but still, it would just be nice for them to know. And it would be nice for Tammie and Tyrone to meet Uncle Dipper. And then Tyrone being able to find out that he was named after his uncle, that would be an experience to behold.

I sighed while I kept an eye on Tyrone, silently telling him to eat. He'd kept saying he wasn't hungry but like I'd believe that...

Why did society have to be so judgmental? Labeling people they didn't even know... Bullying them... Putting them down... It was what I feared for my kids and what I feared for myself as well. Tyrone was rather protective—not at all unlike Dipper's protectiveness—and I could easily see him getting into a fight should anyone talk badly about me or Tammie.

I yawned and no sooner than I did, the alarm clock in my room went off. Time to get my butt back in gear...

"Okay, Tyrone," I said as I stood up. "You know what to do; I'm off to work."

He stopped eating to look up and me and said, "But it's night, Mom, can't you just take one day off?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't work that way, honey."

And before he could question me again, I grabbed my purse and went out the door, making sure to lock it. Tammie and Tyrone knew better than to answer the door for anyone and when I was gone, they never even went out of the apartment, so I knew I didn't have to worry much about them letting someone in without me around.

The only days I ever took off were sick days—and I only used those when I was running fevers and throwing up every five minutes. Money didn't grow on trees and I worked three different jobs just to make ends meet. If I lost any of those three jobs, we would be evicted—which was why I planned on moving before that happened. There was a cheaper apartment closer to a restaurant I worked at. It would be more convenient in that I wouldn't have as long a drive and the rent was less. It was a smart financial move, in my eyes.

The downside was the pattern here. When I left Gravity Falls, I moved at least two hours away. Everything went smoothly at first. I'd used the money I'd saved up until I could get a job. After that, I was able to pay rent for a new apartment and was careful about my budget, only spending my money on necessities. But then I gave birth... I thought it would be only one baby—I hadn't had any doctor's appointments but did take prenatal vitamins. Once I had the twins, I realized my income wasn't enough to take care of them. My solution? Get another job and move to a less expensive place. As they got older, they started to need more. I got my third job and moved again. I knew for a fact that I couldn't take on one more job. Thanks to my lack of a high school diploma and being unable to afford going back to school to get one, I couldn't maintain three jobs for long. Most applications were rejected and I'd been laid off several times already, but I had managed to get by long enough to find new jobs.

They all paid minimum wage but together, they produced a decent salary. But lately, things weren't going so well. I would never admit it to the kids, but I wasn't making enough money to stay in this apartment. My worst fear, at this rate, was that I wouldn't be able to feed them anymore. I tried to apply for welfare but I was denied. Apparently my income was too high for qualification—which was _bull crap_—and since there were no medical problems, I "had no need for it". Unless I wanted social services to come and cart my children away, it was all up to me.

Which meant that I had to keep making the decision to move. Skipping all the details, I was basically being pushed further and further. We weren't too far from the outskirts of Gravity Falls now. Moving again would push us further, but this apartment had woods behind it—somewhere for Tammie and Tyrone to play. It was a nice bonus considering I was usually either too tired or too busy to drive them to the park and we didn't have very many toys. I tried to compensate on toys with things like blocks and Legos, something they could build and make into whatever they wanted. We had a few board games too but that was about it. A forest would be great for them, like an all-natural playground.

* * *

><p>I came back home sometime around 2:00 am. The first thing I did was check on Tammie and Tyrone, who had <em>hopefully<em> gone to bed on time. I would know if they stayed up later depending on how they acted when they woke up. At twelve years old, they'd long figured out that mothers knew everything.

The second thing I did was flop onto my bed. I was out the instant my head hit the pillow. Forget about getting ready for bed, I just... I was too exhausted to care.

And it seemed like just the blink of an eye but...morning time came. The alarm this time was meant for both me _and_ my kids. It told me that I had to get up and get the kids ready for school, then get to work myself while they took the bus.

I got up and, first thing even before changing clothes, pounded on Tammie and Tyrone's door.

"TIME TO GET UP, YOU'LL BE LATE!" I shouted.

I planned to tell them this morning that we were moving again but...I didn't know how. We'd literally just settled in last year and moving was the last thing I wanted to do but what choice did I have?

**A/N**

**Well now we know life is harder for Mabel than she herself thought it would be, but at least she's trying to be a good mother. And there are reasons she didn't have any doctor's appointments, so no asking about that. ;)**

**This chapter is a little longer than the last one but next chapter, I'm aiming for at LEAST 2,000 words.**

**I updated REALLY early to celebrate the new episode of GF, Soos and the Real Girl! :D**

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

**To whoever doesn't like this story, what the heck are you still reading it for?! Go troll/flame someone else!**

**To ALL flamers, you have NO right to flame or even criticize someone else's story. Know why? EVERY TIME I check a flamer's or hardcore critic's stories, they either don't HAVE a story, or their stories SUCK. So don't dare criticize me or anyone else's story unless/until you've written an absolutely PERFECT and AMAZING story that is INCAPABLE of being criticized. **

**Those critics out there who haven't written anything, who do you think you are? People work hard on their stories whereas you don't do anything but bug them. Write a story, see for yourself how hard it is, THEN let's see how your opinions change. And I'd love to see how you fare with writer's block. I'd love to see how "easy" it is to overcome it.**

**And I'd also like to point out that most flamers haven't even paid attention to the story they're flaming. They make themselves look like hypocrites in that they THINK they know what they're talking about. **

**Message to flamers: Please get out of my life, I don't care for you or your flames, and stay away from me and all my stories. **

**Message to critics: Half the time it seems you don't pay close enough attention to the story to see that I use improper grammar intentionally; I have several years of experience under my belt and know exactly what I'm doing. Don't bother giving me advice as I will not be taking it. (If you're genuine and trying to help, then this message doesn't apply to you.)**

**Message to anyone reading this A/N: Yes, I did just rant on about this stuff. Yes, I do get angry over flames. Yes, I tell things straight up. I'm pretty sure you all agree or can relate to at least ONE of the statements mentioned above. If not, God bless you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mabel's POV**

I all but threw the still unopened last box down in my bedroom. The new apartment was smaller and the kids would probably have a hard time adjusting to a smaller space, especially considering we were in our last apartment for just one year. Hopefully I would be able to keep this place for over a year, give Tammie and Tyrone some time to get settled in.

"Mom!" one of them called to me.

"Yes?"

"Where do we put our games?" It was Tammie.

"Out of sight, out of mind!" I replied.

My best guess was that those games would be shoved under their bunk bed. A long time ago, I'd found it easier to buy just a bunk bed instead of two separate beds. The twins loved it ever since they got it. The only problem was who got the top bunk. It settled on Tyrone, who eventually regretted it when he had to climb down a ladder every time he wanted to get out of bed. He then tried to trade places with his sister, but she'd already realized that the bottom was better.

Thankfully I wouldn't have to worry about any fights breaking out because Tyrone liked having his little routines and wasn't partial to change. He would be a little irritable until the stress of moving wore off.

I took out some of my clothes and hung them in the closet, trying to think about how much longer I could hold down my job as a waitress. My manager was getting tired of me already—I knew from the beginning he didn't like me. The reason was unknown, but it probably had something to do with being a single mom of two children.

It was the exact opposite with my part-time job as a cashier. I would be very willing to quit that job if not for Tammie and Tyrone. My manager there creeped me out, always asking me on dates no matter how many times I said no. He knew I had two kids at home and he knew I had the night shift for my third job, which didn't really leave any time for a date. He also knew I didn't want anything to do with him and that I would much rather our relationship be strictly professional. There were other females out there he could be chasing but for some reason, he always came after me.

With the amazing and fun night shift in a warehouse, my manager didn't care whatsoever. He didn't really care about any of his female employees. He held this stupid belief that men were better workers than women. I was lucky to have gotten that job but it felt like I could get replaced by a man at any time. With that job, my gender was a threat in itself.

I finished hanging my clothes and moved the box over to a corner, where it wouldn't be in anyone's way.

If I had to get pregnant, why couldn't it have waited until after I finished high school? I would actually have some free time that way and my life wouldn't be this stressful. I wouldn't be so quick to fall asleep. Tammie and Tyrone were my entire world, but if I could've waited an extra year before having them, that would've been great. I would be able to get a better-paying job that I could actually _hold down_. We might even have a house instead of an apartment—not that there was anything wrong with an apartment, but after twelve years, a house would be great. I couldn't give Tammie and Tyrone the life I had when I was growing up. That was what hurt me most.

I sat on the edge of my bed and sighed.

And at first I thought it was a car passing by my window, but then realized that I didn't have a window in my bedroom, which made me wonder what in the world a flash that bright could be. The answer revealed itself seconds later.

"Yeah, the sweet life, huh? That'd be great," a very recognizable voice said.

I looked up to find—naturally—Bill. His yellow color, single eye, black bowtie, cane, and triangular figure were unmistakable. But his voice... Oh, that voice...I hated it. Ever since he took over Dipper's body I'd despised this demon; this...this Illuminati symbol of evil and insanity combined.

"Why are you here?" I growled.

Chances were, he didn't come for my kids. If he did, he would never have shown himself to me.

He ignored my question. "Boy, this place is a little small for a family of three."

I hoped he knew he was only making me hate him more, if possible. Right now he was worse than Pacifica.

"I'm trying," I spat.

He floated over to my door and leaned against it as though it was some sort of recliner.

"I sure do feel bad for your kids. And hey, who knew it would be twins! Man, that must've been a shocker for you."

"Why are you _here?_" I repeated.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not here for Tammie or Tyrone if that's what you're thinking."

"Then what are you after? _My_ body this time? You ruined your chances with that when you tricked my brother."

He laughed. "Ah, your brother. I can't say I care much for either of you twins anymore but I'm willing to let go of the past...which seems to be something you're having a hard time doing."

"I'm over the incident," I argued.

"No, I'm not talking about your brother. I've been watching you and I have to say, I'm impressed with how hard you're trying. But do you really think it's enough? I mean, you're raising twins here, not a parakeet. On top of that, something tells me you're a little exhausted. Am I right? Yes? No? You sure look the part with those bags under your eyes."

I flushed and rubbed my eyes about as hard as I could.

"Why are you telling me all this? I'm doing just fine taking care of my kids," I retorted.

He rolled his one eye and replied, "Oh, sure you are. That would explain why you've never had a house before. I'm sure it also explains why you told them your brother was dead. I mean really, if I had kids I wouldn't have done this."

I frowned and let him continue.

"It's pitiful if you ask me. And your family would probably hate you now—keeping this big secret all these years would certainly have a price on it. Phew, you have _really_ gotten yourself into a jam."

"So did you come here to make me feel bad or what?" In all honesty it was working.

He waved a dismissive hand...thing. Was it a hand or just a black stick that looked kind of like a hand...?

"I was just pointing out some facts before I get to the point. I know you don't necessarily trust me after the whole 'taking over your brother's body and trying to steal his journal' thing, but I'm willing to help you give yourself _and your kids_ a better life."

Like I would trust him to help me out...

"What does an innocent little angel like you want in return? I know you don't do _anything_ without making deals first and judging from what happened with Dipper, you never even kept your end of the bargain," I said.

"That was different for several reasons. But yeah, something this big would make a good deal. I mean, what kind of selfish mother wouldn't take the help where she could get it? Anyway, it looks like I'll be going now—"

"Wait, what about the deal?!"

Not another word before the same bright flash of light came and went, replaced by our new apartment.

I wasn't a selfish mother...was I? I worked three jobs to take care of my kids; that had to be far from selfish. But this was Bill. He was probably trying to manipulate me into doing something he wanted while I would end up being the one suffering from it. Thankfully he gave the choice of whether or not I would want to accept his deal...whatever that was.

I was doing fine. One of these days, I would go back to school, get my diploma, and get an actual job. Then things would get better and Bill wouldn't have anything on me.

But I did want to know what he wanted from me...

**Dipper's POV**

I took a deep breath of good ol' Gravity Falls air as I stepped off the bus, bags in hand and signature town souvenir cap on. Today was the day I would be settled in for good. I would have a job, family nearby, friends to hang out with, and people I knew as acquaintances.

So much had changed. My house was finally built, meaning I could live in Gravity Falls—and of course, visit my parents every now and then, including all holidays. My job was dedicated entirely to the Mystery Shack now, where my basic college degree earned me a special title. While Grunkle Stan was still top dog, I was the manager _and_ next in line to take over the business. Exciting? Yes. Easy? No. Wendy still worked here part-time and Soos worked full-time. I had to manage them both, although Soos was pretty easy. Wendy was still laid back and a little carefree.

Amazingly though, nobody had any kids except for Candy and Grenda—but they never came to the shack anymore. Since Mabel was no longer around they found no reason to come here. Candy got married when she was twenty-two and Grenda got married two years after. Likewise, Candy had her baby first and Grenda had her baby next—this time only one year after Candy. From what I'd heard about them, their kids were close friends. I never really kept up with them anymore, so that was really all I knew about what had become of them.

As for Wendy, she had a husband but it turned out, they couldn't have kids—the details on that were unclear. I still remember Stan giving Wendy an entire week off because of how absolutely devastated she was. Nobody ever spoke of that subject since we heard about it but things had gone back to normal with her.

Stan was unmarried, which would come as no surprise.

Soos...well... Soos was engaged...and um, had been engaged for many years now. He'd kept his relationship with Melody for some time until finally, he decided to propose..._online_. I swore, that man was this town's _real_ mystery.

And then there was me. I'd had a few girlfriends before but I never took them seriously. I never found the right girl, so here I was now, still single. It wasn't really that bad. I didn't _need_ a wife and I didn't really _want_ kids. Waking up all the time in the middle of the night and still having to get up early for work the very next day just didn't appeal to me.

On the topic of Mabel, I'd grown used to not having her around. I still thought about her but I certainly didn't _like_ thinking about her. The day I woke to find that one little note she left behind was probably the most painful day of my entire life. After I'd finally started to get over that, memories of Mabel—of pretty much my whole childhood—were locked up in the back of my mind so I wouldn't have to suffer from it. Now I rarely thought of her and when I did it was fleeting. I didn't like the loneliness and nostalgia that came with those thoughts. There were still times, though, that I wondered what ever happened to her and what those "reasons" were—after all, these "reasons" were strong enough to make her leave everything and every_one_ behind. And with what? Just a piece of paper to say farewell.

**A/N**

**Why did I shift from Mabel's POV to Dipper's? You know about Mabel's life, now it's time to show you Dipper's. I'm still deciding on who everyone is married to and all that. I just can't see Dipper getting married yet and part of that is because deep down, he knows Mabel won't be attending his wedding (that's not described in the story because he doesn't even realize that's part of it).**

**And wo-ho-ho! Now there's BILL? What in the world does BILL want?**

**And don't worry, I'm still working on A Rose Without Petals. I'm having a bit of trouble on the next chapter though, which is why it's taking longer. :( I wanted to update sooner... Really sorry for the delay, everyone.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Dipper's POV**

I stepped out the door and stretched to greet the long day ahead. Now that I was all moved in and settled down, I could focus on reviewing with Grunkle Stan. He'd decided that if I would ever make a good successor, I would need to know all his little tricks to ensure a good family business. Frankly this business was the _last_ thing I ever thought I would get into. Especially with a con man as my boss, a family-run business just didn't seem like the kind of thing I would've wanted for my life. But that was the funny thing—"life" took people wherever _it_ wanted. So here I was.

I headed off to the Mystery Shack—which hadn't changed in the slightest... Every single exhibit there was nothing short of the most obvious hoax and I still hadn't built back up the confidence to bring another creature in there. If I did, it certainly wouldn't be a gremloblin...

**Mabel's POV**

I walked in through the door and greeted Tammie and Tyrone with a big hug. Today had been their last day of school—a half day, meaning they'd waited at home alone for me to come back.

"Oh, you guys grow up too fast," I said. "Another summer goes by."

Which meant that they would be home alone again. Summer was hardest for me because, while I didn't have to get the twins ready for school, I still had to work and leaving Tammie and Tyrone here by themselves made me nervous. They knew all the rules and, as far as I knew, followed the important ones—such as not opening the door for _anyone_—but I was worried someone might break in. We didn't know any of our neighbors yet so who knew what kind of people were living right beside us. Not to say that they were bad but I didn't know what they were like and I didn't want Tammie or Tyrone to be hanging around strangers.

Now was harder than ever because I had Bill to worry about... I had no idea what he wanted; he had never come back to tell me. I'd decided to simply drop the subject and move forward with life.

"Now that you're here, is it okay if we can have a look at the woods?" Tammie asked. "I'm hoping we'll find tree mold."

Did I really used to say things like that at one point?

My phone chose that perfect time to ring and, my lucky stars, it was Scott Devons—the guy who creeped me out and couldn't take no for an answer.

"Um, sure. Just be sure you still see the apartment when you go over there and don't wander too far," I replied.

As the kids excitedly rushed out the door—it was true we'd been so busy with getting settled in and ending the school year that the twins didn't get the chance to play in the woods yet—I answered my phone and had the pleasure of hearing that man's voice.

"Hello?" I said.

I didn't need to see him to know he was grinning right now.

"Hello, is this Mabel Pines?" he "asked".

I rolled my eyes. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, fine, and you?"

"We're doing fine, just getting over the school year."

"In celebration, perhaps you and your children would like to accompany me—"

"I, um, I'm sorry," I interrupted. "I have other plans for tonight."

"Oh? Are you sure? It would be a nice restaurant, definitely a treat to you all."

I barely restrained a groan and slumped down into the nearest chair. "We've talked about this before; I don't have time for a relationship right now."

**Tyrone's POV**

"Tyrone, check it out!" my sister called to me. "I found some fungus!"

I turned to her and traded her mushroom for the stick I was holding. It was the kind of mushroom that looked like either a tiny ball or a bird's egg. Perfect.

"All right. Ready?" I asked, readying myself to launch the mushroom.

She smiled and held up the stick—our makeshift bat.

I used as much force as I could to throw the mushroom at her. Per usual, she missed. But I was sort of glad she did. The thump made by the mushroom caused us both to run around. No, it wasn't the normal thump of a tree or the ground. It sounded like we made something bounce off a tree and hit the ground.

My first thought was that it was just a piece of really loose bark that finally fell off the tree trunk, but when Tammie moved out of the way to go pick it up and inspect it, I second guessed my idea.

"Hey, Tyrone, what's a Mystery Shack?" she asked, turning to show me a wooden sign that looked like it had been hung up.

I just shrugged and looked in the direction it was pointing. Nailed to a tree farther off in the distance, I saw what I believed to be another sign. I was proven right when we went over there.

"Hey, look, another sign's over there," Tammie said, pointing her original sign towards the direction of the newest sign.

And it wasn't just that sign that we started following. There were more and more, becoming more frequent until they started to multiply into a million more, all pointing in the same direction.

I held my sister's shoulder before she could drag us farther.

"Tammie, I don't think we should go this far," I said. "Mom said to stay within sight of the apartment."

At this, I paused for a minute, realizing what I'd just said. Tammie seemed to realize the same thing and we both began looking around. With all the signs everywhere, we had followed them too deep into the woods. Now the apartment was entirely out of sight.

"No problem. We can just use the signs to find our way back," Tammie said with more confidence than I imagined she actually had.

But the problem was, there weren't signs in a straight line from where we came and we had gone left and right, all over trying to keep up with a single line...and clearly failed. There were signs side by side, diagonally, front to back...they were everywhere. No matter which direction we tried, our chances of getting back were slim.

"It's that way, I'm sure of it," Tammie said, pointing left of where we were standing. She seemed to quickly change her mind and pointed right. "No, no, it's that way. Definitely that way."

"We're lost," I groaned. "You just _had_ to follow the signs, didn't you?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Me? I'm not the one who knocked the first one down!"

"I'm not the one who led the way!"

"I didn't lead the way either, we did this together!"

I opened my mouth to speak but she did have a good point and fighting wasn't getting us anywhere—certainly no closer to home.

I sighed and replied, "Look, maybe if we just follow these signs to this 'Mystery Shack' place, we can just find someone there and ask them for help."

"How can they help? We don't know our address yet," she reminded me. "Mom always runs out the door telling us our _old_ address."

True. Our mother was always too busy and stressed to realize that she wasn't giving us important information. On top of that, she had her phone number changed and kept forgetting to tell us her new number. We also didn't have cell phones so we couldn't save her in a contacts list.

"Okay...well... What's _your_ idea?" I combated. "Don't have one? Then let's head for the Mystery Shack."

She nodded and we both reluctantly followed all the signs nailed or hung on the trees.

It had to be twenty full minutes before we saw a wooden building in a large clearing. Looking closer, it sort of looked like a gift shop. And on the roof, spelled out in huge red letters, was, "MYSTERY HACK". I was pretty sure we were both a little confused until we came closer and saw a fallen "S". It didn't take a genius to figure out where that "S" was supposed to go in the letter order.

**Dipper's POV**

I stretched, yawned, and took a look at the analog clock hanging in the gift shop. Almost quitting time, almost time to go home and just relax. Moving was always hard, long, and stressful. Now that I had finally unpacked the last box, I was officially moved in, meaning that today would be my first _official_ day at home.

"Wendy, how are you supposed to do your job if you keep your head stuffed in a mag—"

I stopped myself as soon as I read the title of the magazine. It was one of those healthcare magazines and from what I could see, that particular issue was rightfully to her interest. Apparently it contained articles about boosting fertility. At that knowledge, I decided to just let her keep reading. There were no customers in right now and she seemed to be too deep into that article to be listening to me anyway.

And right at the moment I thought there would be no more customers today, the bell to the door chimed and I just barely stopped myself from sighing heavily in disappointment.

Two children came in, a boy and girl, came in. I could tell immediately that they were identical twins. The boy looked so similar to me when I was his age, or around it, depending on how old he was. His sister reminded me so much of my sister when she was her age, once again depending on how old they were. I hated the images of Mabel flooding back to me but at the same time loved seeing a reminder of her, despite that reminder being in the form of another person.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack, how can I help you today?" And where were their parents? My best guess was somewhere outside.

"We're sort of lost and we could use a little help getting back home," the boy said.

"We saw your signs and followed them here," the girl added.

In that case, I could understand how they got lost. Grunkle Stan's obsession with attracting tourists ran so deep that he always had me hanging signs all over the woods. These kids wouldn't be able to find their way back without knowing their way around the woods perfectly.

"Okay, sure; where are your parents?" I asked.

"It's actually just our mom, and she's probably back at home."

Which meant she likely lived outside the woods.

"Oh. Well, uh, we have a phone if you want to call her," I suggested.

"She changed her number recently."

"What's your address then? I can drive you home," I offered.

"Um...well, see, we sort of just moved..." The boy let his voice trail off, which was all the answer I needed.

Okay. So these kids didn't know their address, their mom's phone number, and from the way it sounded, their mom didn't know they had strayed into the Mystery Shack. I honestly didn't know what was left to do. The police couldn't help since the kids didn't know anything and since the only police in Gravity Falls were rarely of help. If their mother didn't know where they were then... Oh boy, this was bad, this was really bad. The day wasn't getting any younger and I didn't really know what to do with these kids.

The only shot I had was asking around but if the kids didn't know anyone, the other person wouldn't know them either. They didn't seem to know anyone here or else they would've pointed it out right away.

"Do you guys have any aunts or uncles we can contact?" I asked.

"Well we had an uncle but he died before we were born."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Well there went one option... "Grandparents?"

"No."

"Cousins?"

"We don't have any other relatives."

"Well what about your dad?"

They both shook their heads.

"It's just our mom," the boy said.

This wasn't good. Their mother would probably come looking for them but who would think to look for a pair of twins in the woods?

"Does your mother have any friends?"

"Not that we know of."

You had to be kidding me! No relatives, no friends, no way back... Their poor mom would be so worried about them. In truth I myself was a little worried about them. They were just kids; what was I supposed to do, kick them out?

Wendy looked up from her magazine at stared at them for a moment. If she thought I would let her keep the twins with her until we could find a way to get them to their mother, she was dead wrong. She couldn't have kids of her own and I was afraid she would grow too attached to them. It would kill her to see them leave and she'd already had enough pain when she found out she couldn't have kids.

So before she even had the _chance_, I offered them my house. They could just sleep on my bed and I could sleep on the couch. It might be a little awkward for a boy and a girl to sleep together in the same bed, but they were siblings so in my eyes, it was fine.

They seemed unsure of whether to take up my offer at first and kept exchanging different glances, like they were using telepathy to talk about it. Eventually they came to their answer.

"I guess, until our mom comes," the boy said. He immediately snapped his fingers afterward and added, "By the way, my name's Tyrone and this is my sister Tammie."

I couldn't help but smile at the great name pairing—perfectly fitting for twins.

"Tyrone, huh? You know it's funny, I've always wanted that name," I said. "And Tammie's a cute name."

She smiled widely—she definitely had a smile like Mabel's; it was like I was looking at my sister again.

In that instant I knew I would have to tread carefully around them, especially Tammie. She would really grow on me if I wasn't careful. And Tyrone, he looked so much like my younger self it was almost scary. If they hadn't said they didn't have any other relatives I would probably assume we were related somehow.

I blinked. "You can just call me Dipper."

Little did I know what I was getting myself into...

**A/N**

**Big news! :D You've most likely heard of Alisi Thorndyke (most famous story is probably Behind the Mask). For the first time ever, Alisi and I are co-writing a new GF fic called Black Tears. **

**Summary: Unpopular transfer student Mabel Pines discovers the dark side of high school when she meets golden girl Pacifica Northwest...who may harbor a few secrets of her own.**

**Keep an eye out for that, because after this update, we'll be working on the first chapter. And don't worry about our other fics. We're taking turns writing the chapters so we'll both have time to write on our other stories as well, meaning that none of them will be abandoned. ;)**


End file.
